Barry Anderson

Hearts have beaten several Scottish and English clubs to the signing of 23-year-old striker Cole Stockton.

The Englishman agreed a two-year contract to become Ian Cathro's second signing of the summer after Scotland defender Christophe Berra.

Stockton's deal at Tranmere Rovers expired and he had clubs on both sides of the Border chasing his signature. He chose Tynecastle hoping to bring his goalscoring form north.

The 6ft 1ns tall forward scored ten times in 26 games on loan at League Two Morecambe last season. He then returned to Tranmere and finished with eight goals in the final 11 games of the campaign as they missed out on promotion from the National League.

"I’m looking to take confidence from the end of my season into the next. Every striker’s got to," Stockton told the Hearts website. "Every striker lives for goals, don’t they? If you get a goal early doors then there’s your confidence rolling, but I’d like to take the confidence from last season.

"I’m a big, strong striker but not like a target man. I can do both. I’m very good at holding the ball up, I can bring players into play around the box, and I’m a goalscorer. Goals win games, don’t they? But I can create chances for others.”